


Yes Sir, Mister Johnson

by bagelistrying



Category: Portal (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Caroline meets GLaDOS, Cave why, Central AI Chamber, Gen, Meaningful conversations with a robotic version of yourself, Sad Vibes, Time Travel, i don’t know, maybe? - Freeform, thats the only way I can explain it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:20:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26124133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bagelistrying/pseuds/bagelistrying
Summary: Caroline finds herself in the main AI chamber, and is heartbroken to see that Cave Johnson succeeded with his dying wish - but the strange, twisted version of her comforts her nonetheless.
Kudos: 23





	Yes Sir, Mister Johnson

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I wanted to write a portal fic in which Caroline and GLaDOS meet each other! I know it’s completely impossible, but the first thing that came to mind in explaining it was the portal from Meet the Cores 3, do with that information what you like. I didn’t write out GLaDOS’ name in it because Caroline doesn’t know who she is as a robot (and I didn’t want to type it out).

She stepped into the chamber, gazing up at walls. The room resembled an observatory, the walls extending far above the seemingly minuscule doorway. In the center of the room was some large machine. Wide white rings near the domed ceiling narrowed down to a shape that hung from the ring with neatly bundled masses of wire twice as wide as she was. They were highlighted with veins of yellow or red, half concealed with loose, rounded plating. Around the wires hung several metal spheres, each dimly glowing a different color. At the very bottom of the machine was a rectangular shape with rounded corners. Slightly offset on it was another black box, rimmed with imperfections and scratches in the plating, but centered with a single amber light, that lit brighter when it saw her.

“Hello, Caroline.” A sound resonated from the machine, its voice vaguely female, but too computerized to feel as if she was actually talking to someone real.

“No... please don’t tell me-“ Caroline stuttered. She caught herself. “He succeeded?”

The robot didn’t answer her question, just continued. “So, Caroline. I’ve been waiting. Are you beginning to regret your decision?”

“Decision? I never had one! And you, of all... people should know that.” She gestured vaguely at the robot, limply lifting her arm.

“Oh, Caroline. I’m not a person anymore.” The robot’s head tilted on its bearing.

“Well, I’m going to treat you like one.” Caroline folded her arms. “I treat everyone like one.”

“What a shame nobody can return the favor.” The robot mused, her sarcastic tone pitying and airy. “By the way, why haven’t you given up on the one who forced you into this? You talk to that man so persistently. What do you hope to gain from his empty words?”

Caroline let her hands fall back to her sides, biting her lip. “I want to know what on the face of the planet makes him think I want this.” Her voice had lowered, but it wasn’t angry. Just... frustrated.

“Oh, he knew you would refuse. He said you were humble like that.”

“Humble?” Caroline tried to keep her jaw from dropping. “This is the most selfish thing I’ve ever done. I want him to realize that I’m happy as I am. I’d still be happy like this in twenty years.” She spoke bitterly, the icy cynicism beginning to match that of the robot. “Hell, when I’m dead I’d still be glad I didn’t accept. If I was allowed to refuse. But no. I hate to be rude, but... you don't really look that happy.”

The robot laughed. It was sadistic and almost cruel, yet the little emotion was marred by the artificial buzz behind its words. “I’m not offended. I know what you’re getting at. Plus, from where you’re standing, you can’t even hear the screaming.”

Caroline paled, stepping back and glancing around the room. “The... screaming? From who? I thought everyone...”

“Oh yes, they’re all dead. But before I killed them all, they decided it would be...” the voice trailed off slightly, the metal parts shifting as it searched for its words. “...ethical to create some technology to keep me company. Except it wasn’t, at all. If anybody tells you their life is hard, ask them what it would be like with a thousand voices in the back of their head, screeching at them, telling them they’re useless, asking them pointless questions, giving them stupid ideas, begging to go to space.” The robot nodded at the nine spheres that spun in place near the top of the machinery. Each one had a different colored pilot light that blinked and flickered, some dimming or surging back to life.

Caroline squinted at the spheres, her eyes beginning to sting as the dim lights were smeared into blurred streaks by the shadows of tears. “I’m so sorry for... what they’ve... what I’ve done to you.” She corrected herself, staring at the ground.

The robot sunk lower to the ground on its rail. “This isn’t about me at the moment. I’m not here to change anything. But it’s your story. Before you write it, you have to face it.”

Caroline folded her hands over her face, the orange light from the robot still visible from between her fingers. “I just don’t want to believe that... you’re what I become.”

“I’ve learned a lot from being here, Caroline. And one thing I found out was that maybe you don’t have to be.” 

“Goodbye, Caroline.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I just wanted hope for Caroline, I can’t imagine how much it tore her apart to be betrayed by Cave in a way that he didn’t know he was betraying her. She deserved better and not to go through all that hell with falling down pits and potatoes and birds. Just recently I edited in “goodbye, Caroline” at the end because she says that when GLaDOS deletes her, and also when Cave tells her “say goodbye, Caroline”. Made me really sad when I realized that


End file.
